BARK AROUND TREES
There has been much debate about the rule on "Bark Around Trees" and the R&A have now been consulted.
This is covered in the Rules and Decision under 33-2a/10.5, status of tree basins. 33-2a/10.5 states there is no relief from tree basins that are not made of artificial materials.
Where the basin contains concrete or the like to retain its shape a player is entitled free relief. However, in the absence of such an artificial material the ball must be played as it lies or declared unplayable and relief taken in accordance with rule 28.
Wood chippings filling the basin are natural materials and have the status of loose impediments. Therefore, the player may remove any wood chippings from around the ball, provided in doing so the ball is not moved.
The 3 month trial period therefore no longer applies. General Manager: 11 November 2010
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These Temporary Local Rules should be read in conjunction with the Local Rules currently in force.
The latest changes are in bold.
1. DRAINAGE SCARS
Through the green* a ball which comes to rest in or on a drainage scar may be lifted without penalty, cleaned and dropped, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.
2. WINTER RULES
a) Preferred Lies
A ball lying on a closely-mown area through the green may be lifted, without penalty, and cleaned. Before lifting the ball, the player must mark its position.Having lifted the ball, he must place it on a spot within 6 inches of and not nearer the hole than where it it originally lay, that is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.
A player may place his ball only once, and it is in play when it has been placed (Rule 20-4). If the ball when placed comes to rest on the spot on which it is placed and subsequently moves, there is no penalty unless the ball is deemed to have been moved by the player.
b) Embedded Ball
Through the green a ball which is embedded in its own pitch-mark may be lifted without penalty, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes
*NOTE
The Rules of Golf define through the green as the whole area of the course except:
a) The teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played and
b) All hazards on the course.
Rules Committee: 1 November 2011
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Use Of Blue Lines To Identify GUR Areas From Which Relief Must Be Taken
In normal circumstances it is at a player's discretion whether or not to take relief from an area marked as Ground Under Repair. This will continue to be the case at Brickendon for GUR areas delineated by white lines. However in future players MUST take relief from any areas delineated by blue lines. (eg blue lines will soon appear around the temporary winter greens to protect them from unnecessary damage.)
Local Rule 6 will be modified to reflect this change. The new rule now reads:
6. PROTECTION OF THE COURSE: ABNORMAL GROUND CONDITIONS (Rule 25-1)
a) A player may take relief without penalty from any Ground Under Repair area marked by white lines.
b) Relief without penalty MUST be taken from any area marked by blue lines or where otherwise indicated by a notice.
c) The tree plantations, marked as such, between the 2nd & 3rd holes are Ground under Repair and play is prohibited from these areas. A player must take relief, without penalty, by dropping not nearer the hole, adjacent and within one club length of the defined area on the fairway side of the hole being played. (Rule 25-1b applies).
Rules Committee: 18 November 2011
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